The Lost Girl
by Akayla's Pierced Heart
Summary: Set 5 yrs after The Tribe. Nicole, who is a vamp, runs into and old friend, Crisslyn. Nicole introduces her to the tribe and one of them falls in love with her. Will Crisslyn let herself turn, or leave Luna Bay forever? Rated for adult content. MS and AU.
1. Just Another Night

**The Lost Girl**

**Five years after the end of **_**The Tribe, **_**Nicole reconnects with an old friend from high school. What will Crisslyn think of the new Nicole and her new friends?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own this movie or any characters in the movie.**

The sun was long gone when Nicole stepped out of the mine shaft that led to the nest where she had just been sleeping curled up with Shane. The last rays of light still danced on the edge of the water but with no direct sunlight shinning down on her she knew it was safe. Her twilight ritual of wandering the beach just after sunset was something Kyle and Jon liked to laugh at her about but one look from Shane always silenced them. She hated not being able to walk on the beach while the warmth of the sun kissed her pale skin, but it was a worthwhile sacrifice for immortality. And her walks gave her time to think and sometimes cry without the guys around to see. Only Shane knew this.

It had been five years, but looking at Nicole's face you wouldn't think more than three days had passed since she had become a vampire. Her only real regret was not the loss of the sun, but the loss of her brother, Chris.

Edgar Frog had hoped that Chris would betray Shane but Edgar had not counted on the fact that Chris held Nicole's happiness above everything else. Chris knew the only way Nicole would be happy was with Shane. And Shane would do anything for Nicole. Chris had willingly become a vampire when he killed a girl on the beach the same night Nicole had killed Evan. Nicole didn't think she could do it but as Shane had said, it got easier after her first. Humans killed to survive, so did vampires. Was there a difference? Nicole didn't think so.

The memory of watching her brother die still haunted her but she knew felt a little better when she remembered how good Edgar Frog had tasted. Chris, Jon, Kyle, and Erik had just returned to the nest after feeding on the girls at the beach when it all started. Chris had just told Nicole that he too was hesitant about killing at first. That had made Nicole feel better about herself.

Suddenly Shane grabbed Nicole and shouted at everyone to get down. When Nicole looked up she saw a silver stake burst through Erik's chest. Her head swayed a little and she could make out the figure of Edgar Frog holding some sort of crossbow. Edgar was desperately trying to reload the bow when Chris and Jon grabbed him and flung him to the ground. There was a struggle and the next thing Nicole knew, Jon was screaming and Chris was lying on the floor motionless. Jon had been stabbed in the gut with a small wooden stake. The stake that was shoved into Chris went right through his heart. Kyle had run after Edgar but Shane went to Chris' side. That was all Nicole could remember about that night.

It had taken months for Nicole to leave the nest. She only had to feed every few nights but Shane had to bring her food to her. She felt completely void of emotion until one night Jon brought her home a present wrapped in a duffle bag. It was the beaten and half-dead body of Edgar Frog. Nicole had taken her time with him.

After that Nicole seemed to snap out of her reverie and begin her new life (or death if you want to call it that) with renewed ferocity. She no longer felt alone. Jon and Kyle (even though they could be complete jerk offs sometimes) were actually very protective of her. Though Jon was more subtle about it, she still caught him doing nice things for her occasionally. Nicole had taken well to the role as Kyle's big sister. She was nurturing to him which was something his real family had never done for him. Nicole seemed to be the only one able to tame Kyle. When they went to the beach house to party Kyle barely let Nicole out of his sight unless Shane was close by, and he usually was.

The four of them were pretty carefree these days. With Edgar Frog gone and Allen Frog only one town over it seemed the threat to vampires all over the coast had gone down considerably. Thinking about this made Nicole smile. She had never felt so safe before. Although she wished almost daily (or nightly… vampires…) for another girl to join the tribe, she had yet to find another girl she would be able to put up with for eternity.

Nicole looked away from the ocean as she pulled herself back to the present just in time to see something that peaked her interest. There was a rundown beach shack about twenty minutes away from the mine where the nest was hidden. It sat on tall stilts that held part of the shack right over the water. A long set of stairs led up to a wrap-around screened porch. Nicole had once gone up those stairs and found that the door was unlocked. She let herself in and found the shack was just one big room that had a small kitchenette, a living area that turned into a bedroom, and a very small bathroom. In all the years Nicole had been in Luna Bay she had never seen any movement in or around the shack, but tonight there was a light streaming from one of the windows.

Excited at the prospect of new neighbors (and feeling a little thirsty) Nicole jogged the rest of the way to the shack and up the stairs. Just as she was about to knock on the door it opened and Nicole's closed fist collided with something soft.


	2. Please Don't Eat My Friend

**A.N. This is going to be a short fic. Things happen kinda fast but that's the only way I can finish this fic without losing my idea. Sorry, my brain can only stay on one idea for so long b4 mving on. It won't take away from the story cuz I orginally intended to make this one short. Enjoy!**

"Ouch!" Crisslyn screeched as something hit her bottom lip. She opened her eyes to see a shocked expression on a very pale face.

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!" The girl almost yelled at her. Crisslyn's eyes narrowed slightly as she studied the girl's face.

"Nicole?" Nicole took a step back at the sound of her name. "You don't remember me do you? We went to school together in San Francisco." Nicole's eyes widened as she realized who she had just hit in the face.

"Crisslyn Davis? Oh my gosh it's been forever!" Crisslyn stepped towards Nicole and they hugged.

"Come on in girl." Crisslyn said as they parted. When Nicole stepped into the shack she whistled at what she saw. The wooden walls and floor now shone with polish and the furniture, once covered in sheets was now uncovered and dusted off. The brass bed-frame that had once held nothing but a rotted out mattress, now had a new mattress covered with dark blue bedding. There was a small wooden table with four matching chairs near the kitchenette. All the windows had been left open and the ocean breeze was sending the scent of sandal-wood swirling around the shack. Nicole took a seat on a plush blue chair that looked new. The only other furniture in the living area was a small end table and a loveseat that matched the blue chair. A radio was playing from the kitchen area.

"What are you doing in Luna Bay?" Nicole asked Crisslyn as soon as she stretched out on the loveseat. Nicole took the time to get a better look at her old friend. Crisslyn hadn't changed much. In high-school she had long frizzy brown hair that was always wrapped in a braid. Her hair was now just above her shoulders, free flowing, and looked tamer than it had been. That was the only real difference Nicole could see. Crisslyn still had her athletic figure, slightly tanned skin from playing sports (Nicole repressed a spike of jealousy), and still dressed in jeans and cami tank tops.

"That's an interesting story." Crisslyn laughed. "Well, scratch that, it's actually kinda boring. You remember my grandmother?"

"Yeah." Nicole vaguely remembered the old woman who raised Crisslyn after her parents got divorced freshman year.

"She passed a year ago." Crisslyn's smile faltered slightly. "I had to sell the house we lived in and while I was packing I found the deed to this place. So I decided I could use a new start." Crisslyn shrugged.

"I'm sorry about your grandma." Nicole let a few seconds pass. "What happened to your mom and dad? Do you see them?" Nicole didn't know why she asked that.

"No, I don't see them. Mom is in London with some guy she met on the internet two years ago and Dad has a whole new family in New York." Her words were soaked in bitterness. "But I don't need them." Another few seconds passed. "How'd you end up here?"

"Chris and I moved here to stay with our aunt. She turned out to be a troll so we moved in with some friends. But…" It was Nicole's turn to be bitter. "Chris was murdered right after we moved." Crisslyn shook her head.

"Whole worlds gone to Hell hasn't it." She said while shaking off her flip-flops and letting them drop to the floor.

"Are you sticking around?" Nicole tried to steer the conversation to something more cheerful.

"Don't really know yet. I'll be here for a while but I don't know about anything permanent quite yet. I am kinda glad I know someone here though." Crisslyn's smile returned.

"Well if you want to meet more people you can come the a party my boyfriend is hosting."

"Yeah that'd be great."

"Let me just call Shane." She whipped out her cell phone _(yes, vampire's in the 21__st__ century have cell phones)_ and made the call. After she hung up she pulled Crisslyn off the couch and over to her dresser. After going through her entire wardrobe Nicole had picked out a blue two-piece bathing suit and a light blue wrap skirt with black thong sandals for Crisslyn to wear. Nicole was just starting to take the hint that blue was Crisslyn's favorite color. She talked Crisslyn into leaving her hair down and stepped back to study her friend. The top of the bikini covered her stomach but still showed her toned form.

It was ten minutes later that Nicole heard a horn honking. She and Crisslyn rushed outside to see Shane's car parked with the engine running. Shane got out and held open the door for Nicole and Crisslyn. Crisslyn climbed in the back while Shane took time to give Nicole a suspicious look that Crisslyn missed.

"So how did you two meet." Shane seemed to direct the question at Nicole while he drove so Crisslyn stayed quiet.

"We're old friends from high-school. Crisslyn and I used to hang out in the art room all the time. She was always working on some painting or drawing and I was always her favorite model." Shane laughed slightly.

"So you're an artist huh?" Shane turned to face her briefly.

"It occasionally pays the bills yeah." Crisslyn got the feeling she was going to like this guy. "Nicole tells me you're a surfer."

"It's what I'm good at." He spoke lazily.

"I always knew she'd fall for a surfer." Crisslyn and Nicole both laughed. "I remember she had the worst taste in guys in high-school, always falling for the blood-thirsty kind." This time only Crisslyn laughed but she didn't notice.

"Well I seem to remember the whole school thought you were a nun-in-the-making." Nicole shot back playfully.

"That's because I was too smart to fall for any of those idiots. I guess the smarts left me after graduation though."

"Why do you say that?" Shane asked.

"I fell for a total ass freshman year of college. He uh… He ended up being an abuser."

"Of what?" Nicole asked.

"Me." Crisslyn said noticing Shane glare in the rearview mirror. "What?" She asked him.

"Guys should never hit girls." _(A.N. Funny thing for a vampire to say right?)_

When they got to the mansion the party was already in full swing. Nicole made an excuse to part with Shane and Crisslyn and immediately ran to find two particular people. Jon was the easy one to find. He was at the bar. Nicole grabbed his hand and started to drag him away. Jon knew better than to resist so he let her lead him around the crowds of dancing drunkards. Nicole spotted Kyle with a camcorder in his hand filming a topless dancer. She used her free hand to pull Kyle, who was a little more resistant, away from the crowd.

"Please tell me why you just ruined the best footage I've gotten all week." Kyle sounded annoyed. Jon just stood there smirking.

"Do you see that girl by Shane?" They both turned to see Shane standing protectively next to an attractive brunette.

"Yeah, what about her?" Kyle demanded.

"She's a friend of mine from high-school. Could you like, make sure nothing bad happens to her. She just moved here and I really like her and I don't want anything bad to happen to her. So like, _please don't eat my friend_." Her last sentence came out as a whisper. Jon held the urge to laugh. Nicole had once confided in him how much she missed female company.

"Eat her, I'd much rather just lick her all over." Kyle said while pointing the camcorder at Crisslyn and zooming in on her legs. "She got a name?"

"Crisslyn Davis. And licking her is out of the question too." Nicole's hands went to her hips and Jon backed away slightly. Nicole was getting ready to slap someone and he'd be damned if it was him. _(Damned… LOL)_

"Yeah, whatever." Kyle disappeared into the crowd again. Nicole rolled her eyes and made her way back to Shane and Crisslyn. Jon found himself staring at this new girl. He could tell by the way she stood that she was shy. Her arms were wrapped around her stomach as if she was protecting herself and she seemed to lean away from anyone who came too close to her. Crisslyn relaxed as Nicole returned, and let one of her arms drop to her side. Jon also noticed Crisslyn chewed on her bottom lip when she wasn't talking.

Eventually Crisslyn ventured away from Nicole and found her way to the bar. There was a huge selection of drinks and Crisslyn wasn't sure (not being a heavy party girl) which one she might like. She cocked her head slightly and chewed on her lip again.

"Try the strawberry margaritas." A deep voice said right next to her ear. "They're sweet." She turned to see one the guys Nicole had pointed out to her earlier. He handed her a glass and she slowly took a sip. "I'm Jon." He said after the glass left her lips.

"I know. Nicole pointed you and Kyle out to me. I can't really remember which one of you she told me to steer clear of though." Jon could tell she was trying to not sound nervous.

"That would be Kyle." As he spoke he quickly scanned around the crowds and spotted Nicole glaring at him. He rolled his eyes at her and turned his attention back to Crisslyn. She was taking another sip of her drink and he couldn't help but notice how soft her lips looked. _'What the hell dude, cut it out.' _He chastised himself silently. "Not enjoying it?"

He quickly asked trying to clear his head.

"No, you were right, it's sweet. I like it." She took a bigger drink as if to prove herself.

"I mean the party. You seem distracted." He knew he was the one who was distracted.

"Oh, I'm just not a big social bug. Nicole was always the social one. I was usually hiding behind a painting."

"You hide behind paintings? I've heard of hiding your nose in a book..."

"No, I mean, behind one of my paintings. I like to paint and draw."

"Oh." He watched the muscles in her neck pulsate. "Am I making you nervous?"

"I'm always nervous around big crowds. It's not you. I'm a small crowd person."

"You wanna get outta here? Go walk on the beach or something?" Jon wanted to get out of Nicole's line of sight.

"I'm still not sure if it was you or Kyle I'm supposed to watch out for." She tried to play it off as sounding sarcastic, but Jon could see a trace of fear in her eyes.

"You can tie my hands behind my back if it will make you feel better." They both laughed and some of the tension seemed to melt away. She set her glass down and let him lead her away from the crowd. As she felt sand under her feet she looked back to see Nicole staring at her. She waved and smiled at Nicole before turning her eyes to the ocean. "So were you and Nicole really good friends?" Jon asked once they reached the edge of the water.

"She was my only friend. The only one who didn't make fun of me all the time. After she left, I didn't really hang our with anyone until college."

"How long were you in college?"

"Two years. I only got me Associates Degree in Art. Then I had to go back home to take care of my grandma. After she died, I just never went back. It's how I ended up here."

"How's that?"

"I found the deed to her old cabin out here. I had already sold her old house to pay the medical bills. I needed a place to stay, so I'm here." She paused long enough to kick some sand. "I was pretty surprised when Nicole came knocking on my door earlier tonight." She laughed shortly. "I feel like I'm back in high-school. Still the self-conscious wallflower depending on the ever popular Nicole to make my friends for me." She looked up at Jon. "Pretty pathetic huh?"

"No, you're just shy. It's nothing to be ashamed of." Crisslyn ran her hands up and down her arms as they walked. "Cold?"

"Yeah, I didn't realize it'd be so windy." She slightly blushed.

"It does tend to get chilly late at night when the breeze comes in." He said while taking off his hooded sweat-shirt, revealing a long-sleeved grey shirt underneath. He held out the sweat-shirt to her.

"What about you?" She hesitated before accepting the shirt.

"I'm good." He shook his head. The shirt swallowed her but felt warm inside. She dipped her hands in the side pockets and they continued to walk away from the mansion.

Nicole was starting to freak out. It had been over an hour since Crisslyn had waved at her and walked off with Jon. Nicole knew Jon wouldn't hurt Crisslyn. But that didn't mean he wouldn't try something else. Nicole paced back and forth and Shane tried not to laugh.

"Nicole, try to calm down." Shane stood up and took her hand. "Jon wouldn't do anything to piss you off. He knows better." Shane looked over Nicole's shoulder and saw Crisslyn and Jon walking towards them. "There," he said turning Nicole's body around. "See, she's fine." Nicole's eyes widened with surprise.

"Crisslyn! Are you okay?" Nicole almost shouted as she ran over to Crisslyn and hugged her. Nicole glared at Jon over Crisslyn's shoulder. He smirked at Nicole when he saw her checking Crisslyn's neck while she hugged her.

"I'm fine." Crisslyn stepped away looking confused. "Relax, Nic, we just went for a walk."

"Yeah, Nic, it's not like I tried to eat her." Jon teased Nicole making Crisslyn laugh.

"I am kinda tired though." Crisslyn suppressed a yawn. "I was up all day and could use some sleep."

"I can have Shane drive you back." Nicole looked behind her but Shane had vanished.

"I'll take her home." Before Nicole could protest Jon pulled Crisslyn away.

"She doesn't trust you does she?" Crisslyn asked as they made their way to Jon's motorcycle. Jon laughed.

"She does, just not with you." He got on the front of the bike.

"Wow, I feel special." She took the seat behind him and wrapped her arms around him. Jon tensed a little but wasn't sure why. _'Why the hell do I feel so weird with her?' _He started the engine and gunned out of the driveway. He felt her tighten her grip and slowed the bike just a little. She shouted directions into his ear as they sped along and all too soon he was parking right in front of her cabin. As she was climbing off the back a sudden wave of dizziness hit her and she fell onto her side. Jon jumped off the bike and quickly helped her to her feet.

"You okay?" His voice sounded higher than usual. He put one hand on her cheek. _'She's so soft…' _

"Yeah, I just got dizzy all the sudden."

"Can you walk?" He wanted her to say no so he could hold her…

"Yeah, I think so." Jon was not easily let down.

"Well let me help you up the stairs." He wrapped one arm around her waist and led her to her front door. Once she got her door open she turned around and caught an odd look on his face. Sadness?

"I should give this back." She started to take off his shirt.

"No, keep it." He help up his hands. "Call it a welcome-to-Luna-Bay gift." He smiled.

"Okay, but only on one condition. Stay right here." She went into the house and a minute later came back out onto the porch. She held up a black cord necklace that had a small rock on a silver clasp on it. "Here, call it a thanks-for-bringing-me-home-safe gift." He took the necklace and noticed when the light hit it, the black rock turned silver.

"Cool…" He said clasping it around his neck.

"It's a hematite." Crisslyn explained. "One of my favorites." She trailed off not knowing what to say next. They both stood in awkward silence for a few seconds. Crisslyn felt a sudden reckless abandon come over her. She leaned toward Jon and let her lips make contact with his. She meant for it to be a short kiss, but her lips seemed to glue themselves to his.

Then he was pushing back making the kiss harder. Shivers coursed through her body and she had to fight to stand up straight. Jon could feel her swaying and put both his hands on her shoulders as he tilted his head to kiss her cheek and trailed kisses down her neck. A moan found it's way out from deep inside her and Jon grabbed her earlobe with his lips and tugged gently. His arms wrapped themselves all the way around her small shoulders as his mouth found hers again. This time her lips were parted and her tongue slipped into his mouth. It was Jon's turn to shiver. He felt it go from his head down to his knees and had to hold her for support. This caused both of them to nearly fall and he finally broke contact with her. Her breath was coming out in short gasps and he could see her eyes were unfocused. He didn't want to leave her but he knew if he stayed things would get out of control. And he hadn't fed in a while…

"I should go… But I really wanna see you again." He sounded desperate.

"Yeah, absolutely." She said, still breathless. "I'll be here." He kissed her gently one last time before turning around and heading down the stairs.

From several yards away Shane stood on the beach watching the scene play out. He shook his head and laughed. He had followed Jon because of shear curiosity. Now that he knew what was going on he'd have to have a serious talk with Nicole about her friend. Jon was falling in love with a human. That would not work. Crisslyn had to either join the tribe or leave Luna Bay.


	3. She Has Secrets Too

**I'm so sorry this incredibly short and sorry excuse for a new chapter was so late in coming. Believe it or not I wrote the last chapter before the first chapter. I know how it ends but the middle is kinda hard... Wow, that sounds so lame! Anywhoo, here is the third chapter. There might be 2 more or maybe 3... Not sure yet. But I'm wrapping it up. Thanx so much for the reviews and don't give up on me. I swear I'm gonna finish this!**

**She Has Secrets Too**

Crisslyn wanted to cry. She had never felt so utterly helpless before. Nicole had called her cell phone almost an hour ago and asked Crisslyn to meet her at the beach house. Crisslyn knew Jon would be there and she wanted to look good, but now she just wanted to crawl into a hole and die. She looked in the mirror and nearly drove her fist into it. Her hair was done up in a messy bun that she was quite satisfied with and her makeup was basic but still looked good. Beyond that, Crisslyn was in full crisis mode.

Almost every shirt she owned had somehow shrunk two sizes too small. She hadn't realized that when she did her laundry in town where it only cost a quarter to do a full lode, that she would get what she paid for. Most of her clothes had suffered massive sand damage when her boxes fell open on the journey from the car to the cabin and she had to take them all into town to be washed. It wasn't until she started looking for something nice to wear that she realized all her shirts were so small that they showed her stomach. Crisslyn made it a point to _not _wear shirts that showed her stomach for a reason. A knock on the door caused her to jump and yelp.

"Crisslyn!" An oddly familiar voice called out from her front door. "I know you're in there!" Crisslyn quickly grabbed a baby-blue tank top and pulled it on over her black bra. She slipped her legs into a pair of jean cut-off shorts and, as quietly as she could, grabbed her cell phone and tip-toed into the bathroom. "Crisslyn!" The voice was moving around the porch and she knew he was looking in the windows. "Dammit, open the door! I know you're here! I can see your car!" Her blue Jeep Wrangler was easy to spot. The license plate read _**Criss-16 **_because it was a birthday gift from her grandmother.

Crisslyn looked down at her cell phone and cursed silently. The damn thing was so tricky! It worked in the kitchen, but in the living-room and bathroom she couldn't get a signal. "Everywhere network my ass." She whispered. She could hear various thumps and footsteps coming from the porch as if he was trying to test the walls for weak spots. Tears fell down her cheeks and she tried not to whimper. He might hear… Then the footsteps were running down the stairs. She dared not leave the bathroom too quickly. It might be a trap.

"Crisslyn?" This voice made her cry out in relief. She flung open the bathroom door and ran to her front door. She tore the door open an threw herself into the arms of her savior. "Um, I like you too but… Jon would kill me." Crisslyn laughed while tears streamed down her face as she looked at Kyle. She let go of him and wiped her hands down her cheeks.

"Sorry Kyle, I just…" How could she tell him?

"So who was they dude I just chased off?" Kyle pointed his thumb behind him and Crisslyn turned to grab the sweat-shirt Jon had given her. "I didn't actually mean to chase him off but when he saw us pull up, he ran off." Crisslyn's head swiveled around as she pulled her shoes on.

"Us?" She stood and grabbed her keys. "Who's us?"

"Me and Jon. When you didn't show up, Jon wanted to come looking for you. We saw some dude on your porch. He took off and Jon went after him." Crisslyn took a few seconds to register the fact that even though she had just thrown herself into Kyle's arms, he still remained outside of her doorway. _'Hmm, odd.' _She decided not to dwell on it and instead left the cabin making sure to lock the deadbolt. As she and Kyle made their way down the stairs she could see Jon running towards her. He grabbed her at the last step and pulled her into his arms.

"I didn't get him. He took off in a truck." He said to Kyle while still holding Crisslyn. Kyle shrugged at him. "Who was that guy?" He pulled himself away from Crisslyn and made eye contact with her. She let her eyes drop slightly.

"I dunno. He just showed up and started knocking and yelling. I hid in the bathroom but my stupid phone doesn't get a signal in certain parts of the cabin." She realized she was still clutching the phone in her hand and quickly shoved it into her pocket.

"Come on, let's get you out of here." Jon took her arm and led her to his bike.

It felt good to be on the bike with him. The cold air whipped around on both sides of her but she felt so warm being wrapped around him. '_I'm falling in love.'_ She knew it was reckless. She had just met him. But being with him mad her fell so safe, like nothing could ever harm her. Not even her past mattered when she was next to his warmth. Her past that had quite literally just come back to say hello. She tried to hold in the tears.

When Jon helped her off the bike he could tell that she had just been crying. Her makeup was streaked down her cheeks. He led her into the house without a word and into one of the bathrooms. He sat her down on the toilet seat.

"Are you going to tell me what's up?" He asked while running warm water over a rag.

"What do you mean?" _'Oh God, please don't ask me this!'_

"Who was that guy?" He asked very seriously as he gently wiped the ruined makeup off her cheeks. She made eye contact with him for a split second before letting her eyes drop again. "Look at me." Her eyes came up slowly. She looked at him with such a terrified look on her face that it caused him to drop the rag. He reached out to her suddenly and she threw her hands up in front of her face protectively and let out a small gasp. That's when he saw it.

She had left the sweatshirt unzipped and when she lifted her arms up her tank top came up with them half way up her stomach. On the left side, right next to her belly-button, was a four inch long scar. Jon's eyes went wide as a rage he had never felt before shot through his body. The world spun out of focus and Jon staggered backwards until he hit the wall behind him. He cursed loudly when he realized Crisslyn was no longer there.

Twenty minutes later Jon was ready to kill someone, and not just because he hadn't fed in three days. He and Kyle had looked everywhere for Crisslyn but there was absolutely no sign of her. Jon picked up a glass full of vodka and smashed it on the ground. Ignoring the looks people were giving him he made his way to the beach hoping the roar of the ocean could soothe his nerves. And that maybe some drunk idiot was out there alone. Damn he was thirsty!

Kyle watched Jon stalk off to the beach and shook his head. For the first time in a long time he couldn't think of anything smart-ass to say about Jon. He respected (just a little) the fact that Jon really cared about this girl. Kyle snapped his fingers and he remembered one place where they had not thought to look for her.

Crisslyn had no idea how she had ended up in the wine cellar. She didn't even know it was a wine cellar until she saw the shelves of bottles everywhere. It was a little warm but mucky in the cellar but she somehow found the feeling of earth all around her very comforting. She found an old wooden bench near the back of the cellar and sat down. Pulling her knees up to her chest she finally let out all of her anguish. The sobs came out quiet at first but the more she let loose, the louder she became. She knew it wouldn't be long before someone might hear her but she was beyond the point of caring. Life just wouldn't give her a break.

"Crisslyn?" It was the third time she had heard her name called out that night. She looked up and saw Kyle but something about him was different. He wasn't smiling. "Are you okay?" He moved at her like he was moving towards a wounded animal.

"No." Her voice was raspy from her sobbing.

"Do you want me to get Jon?" Kyle turned back towards the stairs.

"No please!" She cried out. He turned back to her. "Can you get Nic?" She sounded like scared child.

"Yeah sure." Five minutes later Nicole was sitting beside her, holding her and stroking her face while she cried. Shane stood in the shadows wondering if this was at all Jon's fault.

"Jon!" Jon lifted his head at the sound of his name. The drunk (and now very much dead) girl underneath him had done little to calm him down. He had made sure to be clean about it and there was only a little blood on his chin when he was done. Kyle was rushing towards him but slowed down when he saw what (or whom) Jon was holding. Kyle rolled his eyes and helped Jon drag the body away from the beach and into a boathouse near the mansion where they stored bodies in a freezer until they could burn them away from prying eyes. Jon washed his face off in the ocean water before the two of them walked back to the mansion.

"Is she okay?" Jon asked after Kyle had told him where he had found Crisslyn.

"Yeah, but something's got her real scared. And she only wanted to see Nicole." Kyle could've smacked himself in the head when he saw the impact his last remark had on Jon. Both of them walked the rest of the way in silence. They stopped at the door to the wine cellar. Jon could hear Crisslyn crying and as much as he wanted to pound the door down and demand she tell him what was wrong… He held back. Kyle could see the toll this was taking on him. The door opened and Shane's head popped out. He looked at both of them and beckoned them to come in.

Nicole had never seen her friend like this. It was true, they hadn't been terribly close, but she still cared deeply for Crisslyn. Looking at what a mess her friend was made Nicole want to cry too, but she knew it would make Crisslyn feel worse.

"Please tell us what's wrong." Nicole spoke as softly as she could. Crisslyn sniffed as she looked at Nicole and the now three men standing to her right. She pulled apart the sweatshirt and let them all see her stomach. "Oh my God!" Nicole slapped her hand over her mouth realizing she had just shouted and made Crisslyn jerk away from her. Shane knew immediately what was going on.

"Your ex did this to you didn't he." Crisslyn nodded. Jon got on his knees beside Crisslyn and took her hands into his.

"Was he the guy at your house tonight?" Jon asked making sure to make eye contact. She simply nodded again. He didn't mean to squeeze her hands as hard as he did but she didn't seem bothered by it.

"I don't know how he found me. I swear I didn't tell anyone where I was going when I left. He must have had his cop friends look for my car." Her voice squeaked

"You thought I was going to hit you in the bathroom. That's why you ran." She looked away shamefully. "I would never hurt you Crisslyn. And I won't ever let this guy near you." She faced him again. "Do you believe me?"

"Yes," she said breathlessly.

"I want you to tell us everything about this guy. I can find out where he's staying and make sure he never bothers you again." Jon gave Shane and Kyle a knowing look as he said this.

Crisslyn gathered up what little bit of vocal strength she had left and told them everything she knew.


	4. This is all Happening Way Too Fast

**A.N. **So here it is. The long awaited chapter 4. This one took me a while to write even though it's still really short. The story actually moves along better from here cause this was actually the hardest chapter to get from my head to down on paper. Hope you enjoy and much kudos for all the reviews and comments! By the way, this chapter is why this story is rated M. Jus so ya know!

**Things Are Happening Way Too Fast**

Crisslyn sat in a downstairs room in the beach house watching Nicole. Jon had asked her to stay there while the guys went out. It had been several hours since she had told them every thing about her ex, Mark, and she had surprisingly felt better once she got it all out. Nicole was closing the heavy curtains on all the windows in the room and saying something about hating the sunlight. Crisslyn had just shrugged and went back to running a comb through her shoulder-length hair. Nicole had let her borrow an oversized white tee-shirt that she suspected was probably Shane's, to wear to bed. She set the comb on the table beside the bed and crawled under the covers. Wishing it was Jon with her instead of Nicole she sighed heavily.

"What?" Nicole asked climbing into the covers beside her.

"Nothing." She sighed again. "Just a way too eventful day."

"Well, your with us now and we won't let anything happen to you." Nicole smiled at Crisslyn's profile.

"Thanks for being there for me." Crisslyn faced Nicole. "I really needed a good friend."

"I'm really glad it got to be me." Nicole paused and wondered if she should ask her next question. "Do you want to be with Jon?"

"Yes. I really want to but… I don't know… There's something about him that makes me a little skittish. Like he's holding something back. Something I might not like…"

"Well, I can tell you, in spite of his immaturity he actually is a good guy. He doesn't go out of his way to be nice to everyone but he does watch out for his friends." She pondered what to say next. "I know he has deep feelings for you. I've never seen him spend so much time trying _not _to take advantage of a girl." Crisslyn laughed.

"Wow, that actually made sense to me."

"What do you mean?"

"After he gave me a ride home, he told me to keep his sweat-shirt. I really don't know why but I gave him a hematite necklace in return."

"I wondered where he got that. I notice he hasn't taken it off since. Did something else happen?" Nicole poked fun at Crisslyn.

"We kissed. I mean, I kissed first and then… Well, eventually he was the one who broke it off. He said he had to go but he wanted to see me again."

"Would you have let him in if he had asked?"

"I honestly don't know… Maybe." She hesitated. "I just feel so out of element with him. I do things I don't normally do…"

"Like go for walks on the beach and make out with total strangers?"

"Yeah! And I don't know why?"

"Honey, you're in love." Nicole propped her head up with her arm. "I know dear, I've been there. Still am there actually. You want to spend every waking moment in his arms, next to his warmth, feeling his skin touch you anywhere, everywhere, and you lose focus of the whole world when his lips touch you."

"I do feel that. But this is all happening way too fast."

"Do you want it to?"

"Kind of yes. I don't know why though. I like things to be simple, slow, but with him, everything seems so complicated and rushed."

"You need to let you inhibitions go and just let your heart lead you."

"Last time I did that, I got a hunting knife shoved into my belly." She turned on her side with her back to Nicole. "I'm really tired now." Nicole shook her head but let the conversation drop.

When Crisslyn opened her eyes again the bedside clock read one p.m. She couldn't remember the last time she had slept for eight hours. She sat up groggily and let her eyes adjust to the darkness. Nicole had done a good job of blotting out the sun. Not wanting to wake Nicole, Crisslyn slipped out of bed quietly and found the bathroom. Once she had showered she went looking for something to wear other than Shane's shirt.

There was a big closet in the room where she had slept. She closed the closet door behind her before turning on the light. On one side there were all men's clothes and the other held women's clothes; most of them looked like sun dresses. She knew Nicole wouldn't mind if she borrowed one of the dresses so she picked a navy blue one. The straps tied behind her neck and the skirt hugged her curves down to her knees. She turned the light off and crept out of the room and down the hallway.

She spent a good hour exploring the mansion but didn't find anyone else there. She began to wonder if the group actually lived there or kept another place and just used the mansion for parties. There was some leftover chicken in the fridge that tasted a little overcooked but Crisslyn was too hungry to really care. She wasn't sure if it was safe to leave and she didn't want Nicole to wake up and worry about her so she made her way to what looked like a study where she found a shelf of books. She pulled one out and stretched out on the couch quickly losing herself behind the pages.

When Jon woke up his senses immediately told him that Crisslyn was safe. His nerves eased just a little more when he heard thumping and grunting coming from the closet just a few feet away. Smiling he stretched and got out of bed. Kyle was already up and moving around when Jon emerged from the section of the mine that served as his 'room.'

"Good hunt last night." Kyle joked as he pulled on his sneakers.

"Yeah." Jon wasn't sure why but he wasn't in the most talkative mood. His thoughts remained with Crisslyn. Would she be angry at him for what he had done?

"Jon, we need to talk." Shane's voice, though calm, was more stern than usual. Jon let himself fall onto the couch. He knew what was coming. "I know you care for her. But if you want to be with her, she has to join the tribe. She will find out about us eventually. When she does, she has to make her choice." Jon nodded without looking at Shane. "Now it's been a while since any of us had a really good feeding." Shane sent Jon a pointed look. Shane knew about the girl Jon had killed last night but he had barely drank from her at all. Shane didn't really approve of frenzied attacks that were more out of anger than thirst. "So I suggest we go out for a drink before going back to the girls."

"What about Nicole." Kyle knew Nicole hadn't fed in a while either. He his voice hinted he was worried.

"She can handle herself." Shane said proudly. "Let's go."

Nicole's phone was the only thing that woke her up. She shot up when it rang and looked around wildly until she found it next to her pillow. When she answered it she knew it was Shane's voice.

"Hey sleepy." Shane teased when he heard her garbled hello.

"Hey." She managed to get out through a yawn.

"Let Crisslyn know she's perfectly safe." Shane's voice was cut off by Jon asking if he could talk to Crisslyn. Shane laughed and asked it Crisslyn was still asleep too. That was when Nicole realized she was in bed alone.

"Shit! She's gone!" Nicole untangled herself from the sheets and made her way into the hallway.

"Relax, I just said she's safe. Look, we found Mark and he's been… Detained for the time being." She could hear both Kyle and Jon laughing. "So let her know she's okay to go home for a while if she wants. And I know you need to feed, right?" It wasn't until he actually said the words that Nicole realized just how thirsty she was.

"I haven't event thought about it all night. I was too caught up in Crisslyn to worry about anything else." Nicole felt just a little stupid.

"Caring about people does that to you." Shane sounded like he understood and made Nicole smile.

"We're going down to the reef for a while. You go find yourself some fun and we'll meet back at the nest okay. I love you."

"I love you too." She snapped the phone shut and went looking for Crisslyn.

Ten minutes later Nicole let out a laugh. There was Crisslyn on the couch in the study with three books on the couch beside her and a fourth book in her hand. Crisslyn looked up and asked what was so funny.

"Please tell me you haven't been sitting here reading all day long."

"Not a whole lot else to do." Crisslyn shrugged as she stood and started to put the books back on the shelf. Nicole felt a twinge of regret for laughing at her friend.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"It's cool Nic, I know you didn't. Besides, there are some pretty interesting books here. I didn't know Shane was such an avid reader on vampire mythology." Crisslyn turned just in time to see a look pass over Nicole's face. "Shane doesn't read about vampire mythology does he Nicole." A smirk played at the corners of Crisslyn's mouth.

"Actually, this wasn't always Shane's place. He bought it from the weird guy from Santa Carla. When we moved in, the guy had left all his stuff here. But this isn't the only place Shane has."

"I kinda got that impression when I went exploring today." She plopped back down on the couch. "Any news from the outside world?"

"Yes, actually there is great news." Nicole took the seat beside Crisslyn. "I have been instructed to tell you that you are perfectly safe to go home with no worries at all." Nicole smiled. "And by the way, keep that dress, it looks awesome on you."

"Oh, thanks." Crisslyn paused. "Did um… Did Jon say anything?"

"I believe he is going to meet you at your place later after he does something with the guys. So come on. I can take you home in Chris' old car."

Once Crisslyn was back at her cabin she raided her fridge for soda and sandwiches. After her belly was full she pulled out her sketch pad and pencils. It had been a long time since she had drawn anything but now, she felt that old rush that fueled her artistic brain. Smiling, she started drawing a face. Such a handsome face…

Crisslyn had just finished filling in the shadows of the drawing when a she heard thumping coming form her front door. She left the drawing on the small kitchen table and made her way to the door. She pulled the blinds back just enough to see who it was and opened the door. There stood the inspiration of her current masterpiece.

"Can I come in?" Jon's nearly had to shout over the howl of the wind outside.

"Yeah, of course." She stood back and let him enter her kitchen area. Almost immediately his eyes went to the table where her pad was laid out.

"Been thinking about me?" He asked as he pulled her into his arms.

"Maybe a little." He kissed her gently. "So what happened with Mark? Is he gone for good?"

"Definitely." He kissed her again.

"What did you guys do?" Crisslyn hoped it wasn't anything that would get them in trouble.

"I don't want to talk about that right now." His kiss was deeper this time.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"I don't." He kissed the side of her neck.

"Neither do I…" She tilted her head to give him better access and moaned as his mouth suckled her skin. He picked her up and carried her to the bed, setting her down so her legs hung off the side. The floor was cold on her bare feet but it barely registered in her mind. He started kissing her ankles then moved up to her knees. She tried to keep herself propped up so she could watch him but the dizziness was too much and she fell onto her back. His arms trailed up and down her legs as his mouth kissed between each of her thighs. He twisted her body around so she lay in the middle of the bed. Through the thin cotton of the dress he could see every sweet curve on her body. He continued kissing her thighs and she arched her back and moaned louder. It had been a very long time since she had been touched so tenderly. He pushed the dress up till he could see her stomach and was surprised to see black lacy thong panties. Her hand quickly moved to cover the scar that she was so self-conscious of. He took her hand and moved it away as he kissed the area around her belly-button.

"Don't cover yourself. You're so beautiful." He said between kisses. "I want to see every inch of your beautiful skin." She reached up and untied the strap that tied behind her neck and pulled at the dress till it came off of her, leaving her with only her black bra and panties. Jon had never been so turned on. Seeing this sweet and timid girl wearing such sexy lingerie made his jeans feel very tight. He stood and ripped his shirt off and was ready to shove his jeans off equally as fast until he saw how she was watching him. He smiled and made a show of unbuckling his belt and slowly pushed his jeans off his legs. His black boxer shorts did very little to hide what was underneath and Crisslyn's eyes went wide with anticipation. She licked her lips and without even realizing what she was doing she sat up and hastily pulled his shorts down.

Jon was caught off guard when she pulled him down on the bed with her. She straddled him and sat up while taking both of his hands and leading them to the cups of her bra. He squeezed at her softness and she threw her head back. He let his hands run down her sides and she squirmed and giggled as he found her ticklish spots. Her squirming caused his already raging hard-on to pulsate making him squirm as well. It was her turn to put on a show as she slowly unhooked her bra and let it fall to the floor. She grabbed both of her breasts and rubbed in a circular motion. She was only a B-cup, but watching her fondle herself was almost too much for Jon to handle. He bucked slightly letting her know how ready he was but she wasn't quite done playing yet. One of her hands found its way into her panties and Jon could only imagine what was going on down there.

He couldn't take anymore. He grabbed her and flung her under him. His hand went for her panties and when he pulled them off he could feel how wet they were. Once the panties came off the air filled with her scent and Jon took a second to breath it in before lowering himself onto her. Her legs parted and she arched her back giving him a full invitation to take her. He kissed her soft lips and massaged her tongue with his as he lowered himself more. He pushed himself into her and she cried out in pain. He pulled back instantly but her arms wrapped around him and pulled him towards her. He pushed inside her again and he could tell she was trying not to cry out.

Damn, but she was tight! Opening her was like opening a virgin. He pushed as slowly as he could. It was difficult for him because his entire body was in overdrive but he didn't want to hurt her. Finally when he was all the way in he paused and let her body get used to him. She began to wiggle her hips and it sent electric shocks up and down his body. He kissed her neck as he moved his hips back and forth. The grunts of pain she was emitting soon became moans of pleasure and he quickened his pace. Her legs wrapped themselves around him and it opened her up even more. Jon didn't know how long he was going to last but he was determined to pleasure Crisslyn until she couldn't move.

Jon let out a yelp of his own as he felt Crisslyn tightening herself around him. Her muscles flexed and made her feel so tight he could barely move himself in and out of her. How did she learn to do that! Jon quickly lost control of himself and sat up while pushing into her harder and faster. He held her legs apart and grunted as he drove into her. Her moans became shorter and louder until she started screaming. He could feel warm liquid rushing at him from inside her and it sent him over the edge. He quickly released inside her and fell down on top of her. Both of them were gasping for air and Jon rolled over onto his side. Watching her glistening chest heave for air was one of the most fascinating sights he had ever seen. Up and down…

Something was ringing. It took Jon several seconds to realize it was his cell phone.

"Yeah," he whispered trying not to wake Crisslyn.

"Jon, where the hell are you?" Nicole's voice nagged him.

"I'm with Crisslyn." He shook his head trying to wake himself up.

"All damn night? What the hell have you been doing? Wait, I really don't want to know. Just get your ass back here. It's fifteen minutes till sunrise!" Jon glanced at his watch.

"Shit!" Crisslyn started to stir. "I'll be there soon." He hung up and quickly got dressed. "Sweetness…" He whispered in Crisslyn's ear and kissed her cheek. "Wake up Sweetness."

"Wha…" Her eyes opened and she yawned.

"I'm sorry. I need to go." He kissed her lips. "You need to wake up so you can lock this door behind me."

"I thought it was safe?" She sat up suddenly.

"It is from Mark, but I don't want anyone else getting any ideas about _my_ girlfriend."

"Girlfriend? Am I?" She smiled lazily.

"Do you want to be?"

"Yes."

"Than you are." He kissed her again before she stood up and wrapped the blanket around her. She followed him to the door and they shared one last kiss before he stepped onto the porch. He stood there until he heard the dead-bolt click into place. Then he made his way down the stairs to is bike.

**A.N. **Wow! My first adult scene ever! Hope I didn't screw it up! This is what I get for eating all those poppyseed muffins! Please leave comments and suggestions! I love feedback, even bad feedback! I can take it!


	5. The Darkness Finally Comes to Light

**A.N. To all my reviewers THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the props on this! And SO SORRY this tiny little chapter is late in coming! I actually have a very good excuse for the lateness but you probably don't care! So here it is!**

**The Darkness Finally Comes To Light**

Crisslyn stretched her arms above her head as she stepped onto her porch. The sun was in full retreat mode from the sky and the moon could already be seen. Full moons meant change and new discoveries. It was the first full moon she had seen since coming to Luna Bay. It seemed like years instead of just a couple of weeks. Her mind wondered back to the first night she had spent in her cabin with Jon. He had not been back inside her cabin since but she spent every night with him at the mansion. He would be coming to get her again tonight. He just had to help Shane and Kyle with something then he'd call her. She looked down at her sandaled feet and wiggled her toes. There was a warm wind blowing and the white skirt that went to her ankles danced around her legs. The lacy white tank top did little to cover her scar but she didn't really care about that much anymore. Nothing in her past seemed to matter now. Her normally tanned skin was looking more and more pale now that she had accustomed herself to a night owl's way of life. And her once shy demeanor was slowly being replaced with a more carefree attitude. Crisslyn clipped her phone to the waist of her skirt and set off for a walk down the beach.

Jon opened the door leading to the closet where they were holding Mark. He threw a loaf of bread and bottled water into the room and quickly slammed and locked the door. Chuckling he walked away. Crisslyn wasn't quite ready to know what they had done with Mark. Jon had told her he had been taken care of, and that seemed to be good enough for her. Keeping Mark alive served a darker purpose. Jon had wanted to rip him apart the moment they found him in his hotel room. But Shane reminded him that if they were going to turn Crisslyn, she needed her first kill to be someone she would want dead. Jon remembered how Nicole had to kill Edgar Frog before she could fully accept her immortality. Jon's first kill had been out of lust and thrill. Crisslyn's first kill would need to mean something more. Jon was quiet as the guys mounted their bikes and took off for the beach.

"Okay, I admit it, I'm lost." Crisslyn wasn't sure why she was talking to herself but she was beyond the point of caring. She had no idea how long she had been wondering the beach until she looked at her phone and realized an hour had passed. Jon hadn't called her yet but it was usually late when he took her to the mansion anyways. She could see the blaring light of the offshore lighthouse and knew if she kept the ocean to her left she could get but it would take another hour. She figured if she traveled in a V-shape instead of a straight line she could make it back sooner. The full moon had hidden behind dark clouds and Crisslyn had a growing suspicion that it was about to rain. Climbing uphill Crisslyn tried to navigate herself back home.

The closed down theatre on West Street was a popular hangout for skateboarders. It was also a perfect place for the guys to lure people to feed. Nicole was sitting watching the guys board of makeshift ramps. The three giggling girls beside her were both getting on her nerves and she silently hoped that she could eat soon. The guy that Shane had invited along had flirted with Nicole all night and she had had just about enough. She sent a sharp glare to Shane. Shane walked away from the crowd and Kyle and Jon immediately followed.

"Let's go get some air." Shane said winking at the three girls next to Nicole. Nicole jumped up and linked arms with the guy Shane had introduced her to as Kevin, and smiled at him.

"You look good enough to eat." Kevin said to her, obviously drunk.

"So do you." She replied staring at the veins pulsing on his neck. Jon shook his head and tried to hold in the laughter as he and the rest of the group headed towards the beach.

Crisslyn's V-shaped navigation had worked but not the way she had wanted. She found herself back on the beach. She spotted a familiar life guard tower with graffiti all over it and realized she was close to town, but farther away from her cabin. She threw up her hands and turned around and started walking in the straight line that she should have in the first place. She trudged on for what seemed like an eternity. Before she knew it, she was picking out the sounds she heard in the darkness and trying to identify them. Crickets singing from the bushes, water rushing in from the ocean, the ringing of the offshore bells, someone screaming… Crisslyn stopped. Screaming? Then there were more screams. It sounded like they were from several people just in front of her. She rushed towards the sounds not caring that she could barely see what she was running to. The moon peeped out of the clouds and finally the beach was made visible.

She suddenly stopped. Her hands flew to her mouth trying to hide the gasps of horror. Her mind told her to run and hide but her body was frozen. In front of her, no more than ten yards away Nicole was bent over someone's body tearing the flesh from his neck with her teeth. Shane was behind Nicole doing the same to a girl. Kyle stepped out of the shadows howling and covered in blood. All at once all three of them looked directly at Crisslyn. None of them moved. Nicole's eyes were full of regret as she tried to wipe some of the blood off of her face. Then Nicole's eyes shifted to Crisslyn's left.

Crisslyn very slowly turned around. Her mind had already told her what she was most likely to see but she still wasn't prepared for it. Behind her Jon stood with his eyes cast away from her as if ashamed. His face and his shirt front were soaked with blood. Crisslyn took off running faster than she ever thought possible. She ran so hard it hurt to breathe but she kept going. Not daring to glance behind her to see if any of them had followed she ran and ran until she found herself in town across the street from and abandoned diner. She didn't figure anyone would look for her in there so she broke through the boarded up windows and hid inside.

Back at the nest several hours later Jon was screaming at Shane. Jon had tried to run after Crisslyn but Shane had jumped on him and with Kyle's help, held him down until Crisslyn had gotten enough of a head start to disappear. Jon went first to the cabin. When he couldn't find her there he tried calling her but it always went straight to voicemail. She had turned her phone off… He left her five messages begging her to call him so he could explain what she had seen. He hadn't wanted her to find out like this.

"Why didn't you just let me go after her?" Shane stood watching Jon pace back and forth while he ranted. Nicole was sitting off to the side with Kyle. Neither of them could bring themselves to say anything. "She could be gone by tomorrow night! She could wait till sunrise and pack up and leave! I might never see her again!"

"That's a choice she has to make, not you!" Jon was caught off guard by the volume in Shane's voice. He had never raised his voice at Jon before. "If you hold her against her will do you honestly think she will still love you? You have to let her come willingly Jon or she won't come to you at all." Shane spared a glance at Nicole. He often regretted that he had tricked Nicole into drinking his blood but she had forgiven him for it a long time ago. Her eyes told him she knew what he was thinking and she sent him a weak smile.

"He's right Jon." Nicole's voice seemed to have a calming affect on everyone. "If she wants to be with you… With all of us… She will. You can't make her decide either way. Give her time to think. I know Crisslyn, she wouldn't just skip out on you without at least calling you. Just wait for her call." Jon sat down in a chair across from Nicole, took out his phone and stared at it. Nicole shook her head and told Jon Crisslyn probably wouldn't call right away. Jon simply nodded and continued staring at his phone.

When Crisslyn finally got the courage to creep out of the diner the sun had just begun to rise. The town was still quiet and Crisslyn didn't pass by anyone for the entire walk home. When she finally got to her cabin she bolted her door and locked all her windows. She wondered if she should drive to the next town and find a hotel but she remembered reading that vampires can't enter a house unless the owner of the house invited them. She suddenly remembered the odd feeling she had when Kyle would not step inside her house. She felt stupid and used. But most of all she was heartbroken and torn between falling in love and the eventual chance of being eaten by her boyfriend. Had this all been a game? No, Jon wouldn't do that! But he had kept something so big from her. She told him her secrets, why hadn't he taken the time to mention this? And the only time he had been inside her cabin was the one time she had invited him. She should have known! She had read four books on vampires. How could she miss all the signs? She opened her phone and turned it on. There were seven missed calls and five messages all from Jon. Her first impulse was to delete all of them. But something told her she should hear him out.

"_Crisslyn it's Jon, I know you're probably really freaked out right now but please call me. I need to explain what you saw tonight. I'm at your cabin. Please call me. I love you. You know I would never hurt you. Please… Please, call me." _He had been crying.

"_Crisslyn, I'm still at your cabin. It's been an hour. Where are you? Please let me know something hasn't happened to you! There are other things in the place more dangerous than vampires. Please at least let me know you are safe. You know I care about you. You know that! Please just let me know you're okay!"_ He was worried about her.

"_Crisslyn. I need to talk to you… I need you… Just hear me out please… I.. I love you…" _She could hear him choking.

"_I know you're mad. I would be too. I kept something from you that I should have told you. But I was so scared that it would rip us apart if you knew. I didn't want you to find out like this. I want to be with you. I want to hold you and protect you. I'm so sorry I lied but I did it because I love you so much. Please just talk to me. I don't want to apologize to your voicemail box. Please call me." _She could still hear the wind blowing in the back round which meant he was still at her cabin. The time of the call had been around 5a.m. He had spent all night at her cabin waiting for her.

"_I know you might never want to see me again. But if that is the case, please just call me and tell me you made it home okay. I understand if you leave and never come back. But if there's a chance we can be together… I know Nicole loves you like family. And Shane and Kyle like you too. You could be with us… I know I'm asking a lot. But if you want to be with me, if you love me _I know_ you can do this. If you can't… I will never stop loving you Crisslyn… But I won't make you do something you don't want to do. As much as it would break me… But if you leave. Please, at least say goodbye to me…" _Crisslyn couldn't move. He was asking her to become a vampire… He loved her and wanted to spend eternity with her. No one had ever made her feel so wanted… So needed.

Exhausted Crisslyn fell onto her bed and the world went black.

**A.N. Wow, that WAS short. Sorry... But I promise to update soon. Like a few days, not another week!**


	6. Choices

**Choices**

The roar of an engine jolted Crisslyn out of her dreams. She sat straight up on the bed and listened as the engine died down just below her. One of the guys had come after her. She ran to one of the windows to try and see who it was. Jon's bike was parked right next to her jeep. A soft knock at her door caused her to flinch. She was slightly surprised he hadn't just banged the old wooden door down. She knew he very well could have…

"Crisslyn." His voice was soft but audible. He didn't want to scare her. "Please open the door…" Hearing the desperation in his voice caused her to actually walk all the way to the door and put her hand on the lock. She had to tell herself not to open it.

"I won't open the door Jon." Her voice was strained but determined.

"Look," He tried to find the right words. "I was never going to hurt you. I love you. You know that Crisslyn. I know you do… I was never going to trick you or force you to become like me. I want to be with you no matter what. You're the only good thing in my world. Don't leave me…"

"Jon I'm having a very hard time trusting you right now."

"Why would I string you along like this if I didn't have true feelings for you?"

"I don't know, do vampires usually play with their food?" Her sarcasm was like a knife in his side.

"You know it was never like that!" He tried not to shout but he was losing control. "I would never hurt you! If I wanted to I could break this door down but I'm not! I won't hurt you!"

"You're wrong! I know you can't come in unless I invite you!" She suddenly found herself backing away from the door a few steps.

"Crisslyn, you already invited me in once. It only takes once…"

"No! You're lying!" But she knew he wasn't. She jumped and screamed when she heard her phone ring.

"Crisslyn! Are you okay?" He banged on the door making it shudder.

"I'm fine! Don't come in!" She yelled back at the door before grabbing her phone.

"I'm not leaving until you talk to me!" She knew he wouldn't.

"Hello?" She whispered into her phone.

"Crisslyn?" It was Nicole's voice. "Is Jon with you? We woke up and he was gone…"

"He's outside my door. He won't go away…"

"Crisslyn you know he won't hurt you. He loves you."

"I love him too, but I'm so scared…" Nicole could tell she was crying. "I don't know what to think or do…"

"Remember when I told you to let your heart lead you? I promise you won't regret it."

"Do you honestly think I can be like you.. That I could live with myself as a freaking vampire?"

"Honestly dear, what's so bad about it?" Crisslyn couldn't think of anything. It frustrated her. Part of her knew all of this was very wrong… "What has life done for you Crisslyn? Imagine having the power to take it all back. To be happy with the one you love for eternity… How could you not want that?" Crisslyn hated how Nicole had made sense out of the situation. She wanted to throw her phone out the window. But only because she knew Nicole was right. Life had never done anything but take away everything she loved…

"I'm gonna talk to him now." She clicked the phone shut and tossed it onto her couch.

Taking a deep breath she walked quickly to her front door and unlocked the deadbolt. When she opened the door the first thing she saw was the glint of the moon reflecting off the black surface of the hematite stone she had given Jon. Her eyes traveled upwards and she saw tearstained cheeks. Then his eyes were bearing down on her. She stepped aside and opened the door wider. He moved slowly past her kitchen and into the living room area taking a seat on her couch. After shutting and re-bolting the door, Crisslyn went to join him. Her first instinct was to sit in the recliner across from him, but their eyes locked again and she was drawn to sit beside him. He didn't try to put his arm around her or move towards her at all. She didn't quite know how she'd react if he did.

"I'm sorry." He struggled with his breath for a few seconds. "I'm sorry I hurt you. I'd give anything to make it right again…"

"I don't know what to say to you. I'm angry and scared… You say you wouldn't hurt me but it's in your nature to kill people. How am I supposed to feel safe around you?"

"Have I ever made you feel unsafe?" She thought for a moment. When she couldn't come up with an answer she just looked at the floor. "That's answer enough." He slowly leaned towards her. "You know I would never do anything like that to you. Why can't you admit that?"

"Were you ever going to tell me you're a vampire?" Her voice suddenly steadied. She looked him directly in the eyes.

"I wanted to ask you to become one. I can't stand the thought of eternity without you. I know it's selfish but damn it I love you. But I knew you weren't ready for it. I was going to wait a little while longer and tell you. But I wanted _you_ to ask _me_ to become one of us. Then I'd know it was what _you_ really wanted., not just what I wanted…"

"Is that what you came here tonight to do? Ask me to become one of you?"

"No. I just wanted to see you. I wanted to apologize for keeping this from you, but explain why I did…"

"Well, you've done all of that already." She crossed her arms. As Jon watched her he realized that she was doing it in defiance not protecting herself. Had he lost her?

"Do you want me to leave?" Jon's eyes begged her to say no…

"Yes."

Three nights. It had been three nights since Jon had left Crisslyn alone at her cabin. He had gone straight back to the nest and had beaten Mark until Shane and Kyle had pulled Jon off of him. He had left Mark barely alive. It had felt good to take out his frustration on the person who had caused Crisslyn so much pain. But it still didn't change the fact that she had wanted him to leave… As much as it killed him inside, he had left her alone. He didn't try to call her or drive by her cabin. Every night he woke up hoping to find a message on his phone or hoping to see her at the mansion. But every night he was left disappointed. After the third night he thought he was going to go insane. Shane had to drag him to the reef that night so he could feed. Jon had ripped open the neck of the girl Shane had brought for him without a second thought. This was who he was. He killed to live. And she hated him for it…

On the way back to the nest Jon had taken a detour and ended up somewhere on the low side of the beach. He knew he was close to Crisslyn's cabin but he had stopped himself from going that extra quarter mile. He got off his bike and started wandering aimlessly towards the water.

Crisslyn had paced her floor for the thousandth time that night. Her phone was open in her hand with Jon's number already dialed. All she had to do was hit one button and she could hear his voice. She wanted to be with him. That decision had been the easy one. But could she be a vampire? She had thought long and hard about what Nicole had said. Yes, she could be a vampire. She could live with that. It wasn't like she had never killed a living being just to eat. People steak… The thought had actually made her laugh. The hard part was actually getting the nerve to call him after the way she had thrown him out. Crisslyn had never been good with confrontation.

Crisslyn pressed the End button and dialed another number. It rang. It rang again. After the third ring someone finally answered.

"Hello?"

"Nic, it's Crisslyn."

"Oh my gosh I'm so glad you called! We've been worried about you."

"I've made my decision. I want to be with Jon. I want to be a part of…"

"Let me come get you."

"Okay."

Twenty agonizing minutes later Crisslyn heard the familiar sound of Shane's car. She was standing at the door when Shane and Nicole reached the top of the stairs. Nicole slipped past her but Shane stood just outside. Feeling like an idiot Crisslyn invited him inside.

"Tell me what I need to do." She looked at Shane and he seemed slightly taken off guard.

"First you need to be sure this is what _you_ want." Shane stated seriously. "Not someone else."

"I want this." Shane glanced at Nicole before pulling a silver flask out of his jacket.

"All it takes is one sip." She took the flask from him and put it to her lips. She hesitated. Shane glanced at Nicole again. Nicole looked away.

Jon was sitting on the sand with his feet in the water when his phone rang.

"Yeah?" He answered knowing it was Nicole's number calling him.

"Come home Jon. There's someone here to see you." A thrill went through his body. Could it be…?


	7. A Little Romance

A.N. Believe it or not, the chapter before this was originally the last chapter in the fic. But I re-read it and felt it was too much of a cliff-hanger. So to avoid being hunted down and tortured I decided to finish out with this (very short) chapter. I hope I wasn't too much of a disapointment.

**A Little Romance**

Jon tore down the steps and into the front living area of the nest. He nearly tripped when he saw Crisslyn sitting on the couch beside Nicole. Kyle sat in a chair off to one side and Shane was standing behind Nicole. Crisslyn's face was hidden by her hair until she looked up at him. He could see it in her eyes…

"We're gonna give you some privacy." Nicole stood up to leave with Kyle and Shane following. As soon as they were gone Jon sat beside Crisslyn.

"You drank." He started but she cut him off.

"Yeah." She looked him in the eyes. "I did it to be with you. I love you."

"Oh God, Crisslyn I love you too." He sounded breathless. He took her hands and kissed them. She wrapped her arms around him and let him pull her close.

"Nic says I'm not done yet. I still have to make my first kill. Will you help me?" She spoke softly in his ear. He pulled away to look at her face.

"You mean she didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" A black cloud began to swirl around her pupils and Jon knew she was beginning to feel the thirst.

"I knew that if you decided to turn you would need your first kill to mean something. Other wise you might not be able to go through with it. So I kept you a present." He took her hand and led her towards the closet near his room. As he took the lock off the door he glanced back at Crisslyn. Her eyes were narrowed in confusion but when he opened the door her eyes quickly widened. Jon continued to watch her trying to gauge her reaction. Her eyes narrowed again, but this time a wicked smile broke across her face.

"Oh, Jon." She spoke slowly. "How romantic." Her face began to contort as she walked towards the closet. Jon could hear Mark screaming but he did not enter the closet. He smiled when he heard the sound of flesh ripping open and the scent of fresh blood filled the air. He still did not go in. This was something she had to do alone. The screaming died down after several minutes. He was vaguely surprised it had taken her so long.

When she finally emerged from the closet her hands were wiping blood off of her cheeks. Her pale blue shirt and jeans were splattered with blood and her eyes were now completely black.

"Mmmmhhh," she moaned. "That felt so good." She seemed to be talking to herself. She stumbled slightly and Jon helped her to a sink.

"You need to be careful, if you drink too much it makes you feel drunk." He helped her wash away the blood and flecks of skin that dotted her face.

"I guess I have a lot to learn."

"You also need to get out of these bloody clothes."

"I might need help." Her wicked smile returned as she led his hand to the zipper on her jeans.

**Four Nights Later**

Jon traced the curve of Crisslyn's lower lip with his fingers. He found the best way to wake her was to tickle her face. She twitched and opened her eyes.

"Hello Sweetness." He whispered while nuzzling his face against her ear. Looking into her eyes and seeing the smile form on her face made the past few weeks feel like another lifetime. This was his life now, and she was his love. He leaned down and gently kissed the tip of her nose.

As the two rose from their sleeping place to join the others in the middle room Crisslyn caught sight of Kyle watching her.

"Something on your mind?" She asked playfully.

"Just wondering how anyone could have possibly tamed Jon."

"It's called love, bro. You'll find out soon enough." Jon said smirking.

"Yeah, we need to find a girl for you now." Nicole added. Shane just shook his head.

"Just one?" Kyle had to duck to avoid being hit by a rather large book. He had a faint suspicion he knew who threw it.


End file.
